1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an automated system and method of testing an office machine. The invention more particularly relates to an automated system and method of testing a facsimile machine. The invention also relates to an automated system and method of testing a printer system.
2. Discussion of the Background
With the increase of electronic transmission of documents, secure transmission of documents via facsimile (xe2x80x9cfaxxe2x80x9d) has clearly become a significant business. In utilizing a secure facsimile machine, an important factor is the ability to easily and accurately test the operation of the machine for different modes and different speeds. Current testing of secure facsimile machines is done manually, and is a tedious, time-consuming operation which is prone to user errors. Using current techniques, the error recording and reporting is even more complicated. At least four secure fax protocols (e.g., Asynchronous Protocol, Military Standard Protocol (161D), Ricoh (MG3) Protocol, and Compatible Protocol) and at least three normal fax protocols (e.g., G3, G4 and Internet Fax Protocols) may be tested and each protocol has numerous modes. Speeds presently range from 1200 bits per second (BPS) to 64 K BPS, but higher speeds may be possible.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the present manual system testing process used by a human user. After starting, a user, in step 10, loads documents, which are a number of different pages, on the facsimile machine. The user, in step 12, manually sets a testing mode on the facsimile machine. In step 14, the user then manually sets a resolution of the facsimile machine, and the user, in step 16, manually starts the test. In step 18, the user manually records test results.
Step 20 determines whether an error was detected in the test results. A computer reads the error code sent from the fax machine. For example, if the error code is xe2x80x9c0xc3x9700xe2x80x9d (hexadecimal zero), the test is passed successfully. If the error code has a value other than zero, than at least one error occurred during the testing. The type of error which has occurred may be determined by searching an error code table. For example, if the error code is xe2x80x9c0xc3x9701xe2x80x9d then a timeout error has occurred, if the error code is xe2x80x9c0xc3x9705xe2x80x9d then the modem is not responding, if the error code is xe2x80x9c0xc3x9712xe2x80x9d then the end of data was not found, and if the error code is xe2x80x9c0xc3x9719xe2x80x9d then a checksum error has occurred. If step 20 determines that an error was not detected in the test results, control passes to step 30.
If step 20 determines that an error was detected in the test results, control passes to step 22, in which the user manually prints a communication log. The user, in step 24, then manually analyzes the error. In step 26, the user manually writes the bug report and types in an error code for the detected error, and in step 28, the user manually attaches, to the bug report, the communication log which was printed in step 22, which was discussed previously. Step 30 then determines whether the test is complete. If step 30 determines that the test is not complete, then control passes to step 10, which was discussed previously. If step 30 determines that the test is complete, control passes to the user""s next task.
Thus, whether an error occurs or not, the computer checks whether all tests specified in the test sequence have been performed. If they have all been performed, then control passes to the user so that the user may select another test script file to perform another sequence of tests or exit the test control software.
Hundreds of tests may need to be performed for the complete functional testing of high speed secure facsimile machines. A single test of 5 pages at a line speed of 1200 bits per second (BPS), and with halftone requires approximately 4 hours of the user""s time, with many more user hours required for reporting the results of the test. Also, human errors are inevitable during manual testing. For example, a user may press a wrong button, forget to press a button, or set a wrong testing mode. Results of such testing are not reliable. Compilation and tabulation of results of testing has conventionally been performed by entering the results into a computer manually, which is both time-consuming for the user, and prone to user errors in data entry.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel and effective automated system and method of testing a facsimile machine.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel automated system and method of testing a facsimile machine by utilizing an extra port in a facsimile machine which is connected to a computer to automate the testing procedure.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel automated system and method of testing a facsimile machine by utilizing an extra port on the facsimile machine which is connected to a computer so that the computer gains access to the control portion of the facsimile machine to modify parameters and protocols, and to select the desired modes for testing options via specially designed commands.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel automated system and method of testing a facsimile machine by utilizing an extra port on the facsimile machine which is connected to a computer so that the computer gains access to the control portion of the facsimile machine to collect the success and failure report, and to log the event.
The present invention achieves these and other objects by connecting a local facsimile machine to a computer by utilizing an extra port, for example, a serial port, in the facsimile machine so that the testing may be automated by the computer. The computer then accesses the control portion of the facsimile machine to change parameters and protocols, and to select the desired modes for testing options by using specially designed commands.
First, a number of different pages are loaded on the local facsimile machine. The computer reads a test sequence from a test script file and follows the test sequence specified in the file to perform and monitor the entire testing process, thus eliminating the need for a user to manually perform the steps 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 which were discussed previously with regard to FIG. 1.
Since the present invention automates the testing of the facsimile machine, more tests may be performed without the requirement of a human attendant to monitor the progress of the testing. Automated testing of the facsimile machine may be extended beyond normal business hours, thus increasing the duration of system testing. An advantage of the present invention is that the facsimile machine utilization ratio is then increased, while decreasing the need for manual interaction.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a computer performs more reliable and more efficient tests than a human user. A properly programmed computer will not, for example, press a wrong button, forget to press a button, or set an incorrect testing mode, as a human user is likely to do in manual testing. Also, a computer, using automated testing, will log the tests as instructed, and will automatically generate an accurate and organized report of test results, as well as generating bug reports and, for example, electronically transmitting notifications to development engineers.